Pencil sharpener



Feb. 5, 1946.- .1. A. JACKSON 9 PENCIL SHARPENER Filed May '51, 1944 Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PENCIL SHARPENER .Iesse Atwater Jackson, Pensacola, Fla Application May 31, 1944, Serial No. 538,129 10 Claims. (01. 120-90) This invention relates to an improved pencil pointing or sharpening device employing two stacks of resiliently supported blades arranged so the sharp edges of one stack'are facing or opposing but not touching the sharp edges of the other stack, with suitable holding and guiding pieces as shall be described hereafter, and the whole contained in a small box or enclosure, In use, the pointing or sharpening is accomplished manually by introducing the end of the pencil or pencil lead between the opposing rows of sharp edges and reciprocating in such a manner as to cause small chips to becut r scraped from the pencil until a tapering point of the desired sharpness has been achieved. Two forms of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing. The first embodiment, shown in Figures 1 to inclusive, employs fiat blades each sharpened on one of its long edges, with the two stacks resiliently supported at their backs and above and below by means of suitably shaped pieces of sponge rubber. The second embodiment, shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, employs wire springs for the blades, each having a sharpened edge along part of its mid-length, with the wires suitably guided into two stacks having opposed blade edges arranged so the springing of the wires themselves provides the resilient support for th sharp edges.

Figure 1 is a plan view.

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a sectionon lines 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an isometric view, partly cut away.

Figure 5 is a view of a spacer piece. t

Figure 6 is a section of a modification taken on line 66 of Fig. 7.

I Figure 7 is a section on line II of Fig, 6.

Figure 8 is an isometric view of a wire blade. Figure 9 is an isometric view, partly cut away,

of a second modification.

Figure 10 shows the most convenient position of the hand holding the pencil in using the device.

The blades I are shown in two stacks of twelve blades each with their sharp edges 2 aligned on both sides of a tapering or wedge shaped space 3 between them. Said space 3 is of such dimensions that the edges of the blades I must rub against the point of the pencil when it is introduced between them. Mutual alignment of all the blades about said space 3 is maintained by the tapering or wedge shaped portion 4 of the spacer pieces 5. Suitable notches 6 in the ends of each blade I provide short unsharpened surfaces which bear against portion 4 of spacer pieces 5. A light pressure against the back edges of the blades is supplied by the sponge rubber backing pieces I, to push the sharp edges against the point of the pencil in use, or to return blades l to alignment against pieces 5 whenever the pencil point is withdrawn after use.

By repeated reciprocating motion of the pencil in the vertical direction, the point can be brought to a tapering wedge shape, or if desired, the point may be made conical by rolling the pencil between the fingers to rotate it on its vertical axis as the vertical reciprocating is done. The desired sharpness of the point is governed by the numberof times the vertical reciprocating motion is done.

A sponge'rubber cushion piece 8 at the top and a similar'piece 9 at the bottom of the stacks of blades I facilitate the ease with which the device is used 'by permitting the stacked blades I to tilt slightly from their horizontal planes a the pencil point is pushed into and drawn out of the space 3. This motion in actual use is very slight and serves to make easier the manual effort of pushing the pencil up and down. In practice it has been found possible to get as sharp a point as can be desired on a very short length of protruding lead merely by tilting the pencil slightly out of vertical as it is reciprocated. The slight motions of the stacks of blades serve to permit the fine flakes'of graphite to work between the blades where they act as a sort of dry lubricant, the excess falling out at the bottom.

The box or enclosure is composed of the cover piece in and the bottom piece II which are designed to be pressed or punched out of cardboard or light sheet metal for ease and cheapness of manufacture. Pieces I 0 and II are fastened together by means of clips, b crimping, or by any other suitable method of making a permanent connection all around the flanged rim or edge indicated at I2.

The complete assembly oi the parts I. to 9 within the enclosure III, II is mounted on a base I3, which ismade heavy to give stability and is provided with theoval cavity I4 for catching the shavings or graphite chips out from the pencil in use. The further purpose of the flanged rim indicated at I2 is to fit in a suitable mating groove in the base I3, said groove being continuously straight at one side as at'I5, thus permitting read removal of the assembly I to II from the base I3 for cleaning accumulated refuse from the cavity I l. This method of fastening is simple and provides a firm connection between the assembly and its base. A curved spring I6 is placed in a groove I I in the base I3, and arranged to project above the edge of the flanged rim of the assembly at point I 8 to lock the parts in position; Spring I is designed to permit ready removal or replacement of the base l3.

Slots or openings at I 9 in the cushion piece 8 and cover H! are provided to permit introducing the point of the pencil into the space 3. Similar openings at in the cushion piece 9 and bottom piece ll permit the shavings or chips to fall into the-cavity- I 4; I 1

The blades for this embodiment could readily be shaped from old or used safety razor blades of the Gillette or Schick-Ejector type, or they.

could economically be made of a cheap. grade.

of steel, heat treated for brittle hardness only;

and not tempered. The well-known Gillettethin blade or blue blade with a long central slot, made under patents, Nos. 1,850,902; 1,809,327- and 1,876,906, are advantageous because they give:

' may also be usedjust" like the razor'b-lades' and with the central V" as in Figure 3 although I prefer with this type of blade to havethe retaining grooves 26 substantially vertical; in. which case thev angle-is reduced to'zero. In Figure 9 a compromise is shown, the V angle here being slight but yet noticeable. The spacer pieces 5 could cheaply be'stamped out of light gage sheet metal," The sponge rubber pieces 1, B -and 9 could readily be cut' from-sheet stock materiali The base l3 could either be cast of iron or brass or die-cast of'a low grade alloy. All parts thus lend themselves tothe economies of repetitive methods offlmanufacture.

'I'he blades-2 I"are shown in two stacks of twelve blades each with asharpened edge along the mid-portionof each blade at 22. The ends of each "blade are extended as at 23 providing for the desired resilience by means of the spring action of' the wire. For clarity "of detail in the drawing, the-blades fZia-re drawn as if made of square wire; although wire 0f circular section would be just as suitable and'somewhat cheaper; The stacks of blades" are positioned Within: a cylindrical enclosure-piece 24 by means of guide blocks 25which ma be made of wood and are fastened to the enclosure piece 24 with cement a or nails, ends of each blade 2 I to keepthe stacks of blades Groo'vesZS in the'blocks' 25 hold the in proper alignment, I The enclosure piece 24 is designed to be made cheaply of compressed'fiber tubing of a common commercial grade which can readily be cut and threaded on an automatic lathe. A cover piece 2T has a slotted opening 2 8 forintroducing the point of-the pencil between the blades. A distancing piece 29 supports the stacks offbl'ades Cal ' ed'ge of'a drawin'gboardso-the topsurface-ofthe V readily be made'largerjandfwith more bladesto at the bottom, and has a hole 30 to permit the ment of the opposing blade edges as shown in this'embodimenteliminates the tapering space as shown at 3-,"but it-will be apparent that such a space could readily be Provided for" in the design by making the enclosure 24 slightly larger and cutting the grooves 26 in the blocks 25on a slight angle from the vertical, asin Fig. 9. In this connection it will also be apparent that the tapering space 3 in the first embodiment could be eliminated by making the portions 4 of the spacer pieces 5 parallel, and shaping the sponge rubber backing pieces I with parallel sides. Here, it might be necessary to sharpen the blades with a: greater bevel on theuppersides: to more readilypermitrthepoint of thepenoiLto slide between them, and this has been done with the second embodiment. In either case, the operation of the, device is not materially affected by eliminati'ngthe tapering space and a tapering point will be produced -since, in reciprocating the pencil between the blades, the portions at and near the end must pass-across more blade edges than portions higher up.

V In the manufacture of the spring blades 2|,

the graiie'-ofsteel -need not be expensive-and the In Figure 10"a"wide:iba se ar is shown The position of the handinFigure l0 i ustrateshow the wide base suits the-convenienceof theus'er and also gives stability to the device. Suchstabilit'y is advantageous if the" deviceji's'tobe port able; An'obvious variation, if "desired wouldbe to have the device flried'to-the top ofa drawing board ordesk; by makingtherba'seof light sheet metal with a flange'forholdihg down-withscr'ews'.

A cup or cupped portion of thebase could readily 'b'e' included-to perform 'the'function or the cavity M; or 3|. 7 Another variation would beto, have the flange arrangedso the device couldwbe mounted in a hole in the desk; top, or near the cover 1'0 or 21' would be flush with the surface. 1

This device, asshown inxeithe'r embodiment, should, save, time for the draftsman who must keep a sharp point all" theftime, but it couldf'as enable sharpening'the whole pencil-,;wood' and all. Marking crayons and artists charcoal sticks V are other possible uses To use the jdevijce, as shown, with the ordinary wooden pencil'requires that the Wood the cutaway 'firstgjwith apen knife greatest value to the,.user isjthatthis.v device is kept most handily near the. pencil; work being done,. and therefore can bereachedfrequentlyto keep. the pencil. point. at the, desired. sharpness without the eyesfor. the other 'hand from the work.

Lclaimasmy invention; y 1.311118; device for pointing ran object such-as apencil; the combination of a pair of stacks oi opposed cutters; means for holding the-stacks resilientlyin. position with the cut-ting edgesot apart to. form at V, and-means for limiting the 1 opposed cutters spaced progressivel further approach of the cutting; edgesbeyond: the chosen- 7 angle? definedabythe progressive spacing.

the cutters 3. The device of claim 1 in which the cutters are curved wires.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the holding means engages a stack both below and at the rear of said stack.

5. The device of claim 1 in which each stack is composed of cutters held together merely by their frictional engagement with each other, whereby each single cutter has independent movement substantially normal to the sloping line of the cutting edges of the stack and against the resilient holding means.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the limiting means has opposite sloping edges of relatively unyielding material and all of the cutters engage said sloping edges with rubbing contact.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the blades are of the Gillette type and the limiting means is a pair of spaced patterns having sloping edges engaging all of the blades of each stack of cutters.

8. In a device for pointing an object, such as a pencil, the combination of a pair of stacks of opposed cutters formed of centrally sharpened curved wires, means for holding the two stacks in position with the cutting edges of opposed cutters spaced progressively further apart to form a V and for limiting the approach of the cutting edges beyond the chosen angle defined by the progressive spacing.

9. In a device for pointing an object, such as a pencil, the combination of a pair of stacks of opposed cutters, means for holding the stacks in position with the cutting edges of opposed cutters alined and for limiting the approach of the cutting edges beyond the margin defined by the cuttin edges.

10. In a device for pointing an object, such as a pencil, the combination of a pair of stacks of opposed cutters, means for holding the stacks in position with the cutting edges of opposed cutters spaced progressively further apart to form a V, and mean for limiting the approach of the cutting edges beyond the angle defined by the spacing which forms the said V.

JESSE ATWATER JACKSON. 

